Nut gathering device



April 11, 1944. E. A. FLEMING 2,346,211

NUT GATHERING DEVICE I Filed March 28, 1943 5 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor9 1944. E. A. FLEMING NUT GATHERING DEVICE April 11 Inventor April 11,1944. E. A. FLEMING NUT GATHERING DEVICE Filed March 26, 1943 3Sheets-Sheet 3 I'm/enter Patented Apr. 11, 1944 UNITED STATES RATENTOFFICE NUT GATHERING DEVICE Elijah Anson Fleming, Jackson, Miss.

Application March 26, 1943, Serial No. 480,686

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in nutgathering devices, and has for its primary object to provide, in amanner' as hereinafter set forth, an implement of this charactercomprising a novel construction and arrangement whereby different kindsof nuts may be expeditiously picked up from the ground without thenecessity of stooping.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a nutgathering device of the aforementioned character which embodies uniquemeans for retaining the nuts as they are gathered.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a nut gathering device ofthe character described which will be comparatively simple inconstruction, strong, durable, highly efiicient and reliable in use,compact, light in weight, and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein like characters of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a nut gathering deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation, a portion only of the containerbeing shown.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section, takensubstantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view in longitudinal section through the forward portionof the device, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section, takensubstantially on the line 6--6 of Figure 1.

Figure '7 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of the containerclosure.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises anelongated handle I of suitable material, preferably wood, said handleincluding an enlarged forward end portion 2 which is substantiallysquare in cross section. Mounted on the end portion 2 of the handle Iand projecting longitudinally therefrom is a tube 3 of polygonal crosssection.

The tube 3 comprises thin, flat top, bottom and side fingers 4, 5 and 6,respectively, of resilient material, said fingers being separate fromeach other. The resilient side fingers *0 have fixed on their free endportions and on their inner faces lips or the like I, the purpose ofwhich will be presently set forth. The handle I is provided with abeveled forward end 8 (see Fig. 5) which constitutes the rear end wallof the tube 3.

Mounted on the tube 3, above the forward end 8 of the handle I, isatransversely' elongated foraminous container 9 of suitable metal. Thecontainer 9 includes a fiat bottom structure it which is formed toprovide an opening I l which communicates with an opening [2 in the topmember 4 of the tube 3. A metallic guide i3 is mounted on the beveledforward end 8 of the handlel for directing the nuts upwardly into thecontainer 9 from the tube 3. Of course, the nuts pass upwardly throughthe openings l2 and II.

The bottom ID of the container 9 further includes a hinged, downwardlyand rearwardly swinging closure M. In the embodiment shown, an arm l6depends from the hinged end portion of the closure M. A resilientoperating rod la is pivotally connected, at one end, to the arm l5. Theoperating rod it is slidable in guides i! which are provided therefor atspaced points on the handle I.

It is thought that the manner of using the device will be readilyapparent from a considera tion of the foregoing. Briefly, the open mouthof the resilient, expansible tube 3 is forced over the nuts on theground, the lips 1 being pushed past said nuts, the resilient sidefingers 6 spreading to permit this. Of course, when the lips I pass thenuts, the fingers 6 close and said nuts are retained in the tube 3 bysaid lips. As the operation is repeated and the tube 3 fills, the nutsare forced upwardly through the openings 12 and II into the container 9.As hereinbefore stated,

the guide I3, which projects through the openings I2 and II, assists indirecting the nuts into the container 9. To empty the container 9 whendesired, the closure I4 is simply swung downwardly to open positionthrough the medium of the rod l6. Any suitable means may, if necessary,be provided for releasably securing the closure M in closed position.

It is believed that the many advantages of a nut gathering deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention will be readilyunderstood, and although a preferred embodiment of said device is asillustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in thedetails of construction and in the combination and arrangement of partsmay be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed is:

A nut gathering device comprising an elongated handle, an expansibletube projecting longitudinally from one end of the handle, said tubeincluding resilient, opposed top and bottom fingers and resilient,opposed side fingers, said tube being open at its forward end for thereception of nuts, retaining lips for the nuts mounted on certain of thefingers, said tube having a discharge opening for the nuts in the topfinger thereof, a container mounted on the tube and communicatingtherewith through the discharge opening, and a guide mounted on thehandle for directing the nuts into the container from the tube.

ELIJAH ANSON FLEMING.

